Ranking the Sixers' best options at No. 10 in NBA draft

Ranking the Sixers' best options at No. 10 in NBA draft

With six picks in their pocket for the 2018 NBA Draft and little need for that many prospects, it’s hard to deny the strong possibility of the Philadelphia 76ers making a deal or two on Thursday night.

With that said, we can only go off the information that’s currently in front of us, which is that the Sixers do hold the No. 10 pick. If they hold onto that selection they’ll have their choice of quite a few talented options, so we’re going to rank the best fits to team up with Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons and Philly’s young core.

There’s no better place to start than with a player who earned strong reviews during his pre-draft workout and is arguably one of the best all-around fits for the Sixers in the entire draft.

1. Mikal Bridges, forward (Villanova)

(Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)

I can’t deny how high I am on Mikal Bridges. He’s 6-foot-7 with a 7-foot wingspan, an excellent defender and can score in a variety of ways. Bridges fits the 3-and-D mentality of the Sixers perfectly, as he shot 43.5 percent from the outside during his senior season.

The only problem? He may not be available at No. 10.

If the Sixers really want Bridges, there’s a chance they’d have to swing a deal to move up a few spots. It’d be easy to see another team falling in love with him based on not only what he’s shown, but also the upside he unquestionably possesses.

This is a player who averaged 1.5 steals and 1.1 blocks last season, which obviously showcases his defensive abilities, while also tallying 17.7. points and 5.3 rebounds per game. He’s a clear-cut top-10 pick and great option with a bright future..

2. Kevin Knox, forward (Kentucky)

(Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

On the surface, shooting 34.1 percent from 3-point range doesn’t look overwhelmingly impressive. But Knox has a nice shot and he is a better shooter than that number indicates. While that’s obviously a major area of need for the Sixers, his ability to defend and impressive size would be a great addition.

I also like the fact that Knox wouldn’t need to dominate the ball in order to make an impact for Philly. The Sixers seem to like him quite a bit as he was brought back for an individual workout two days prior to the draft after impressing during his group workout the week before.

It’s easy to envision Knox thriving in Brett Brown’s system and fit perfectly alongside the rest of the team’s core.

3. Miles Bridges, forward (Michigan State)

(Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

Miles Bridges was incredibly close to grabbing the No. 2 spot on this list from Knox. His superb athleticism is eye-opening and he has the ability to be a matchup nightmare for opponents. He can also score the basketball at an impressive rate and has upside that may be second to very few in this entire draft.

But the concerns are ones that should specifically stand out to the Sixers.

He’s not a great defender, or not yet at least, and his outside shooting needs a bit of work. I’m not sure what type of player he’ll be when it comes to creating his own shot, and pairing that with the fact that he made just 36.4 percent of his 3-point attempts last season is somewhat concerning.

Even still, I like Bridges as a prospect, considering he’s only 20 years old and has flashed impressive playmaking ability.

4. Zhaire Smith, guard (Texas Tech)

(Photo by John Weast/Getty Images)

The Sixers obviously liked what they saw from Zhaire Smith, as he was also brought back for a second workout. While the former Red Raiders guard was solid on shooting from the outside (made 45 percent), he only averaged 1.1 attempts per game.

The biggest questions surrounding Smith include his consistency on outside shooting as well as his defensive skills. Fortunately, Brown and the rest of the coaching staff likely got a good look at both of those things during his pre-draft workouts.

Even though the 19-year-old only played just one season at Texas Tech, it’s hard to deny that the potential isn’t there for the guard.